Shoe last



Feb. 22, 1955 E. F. SCHMANK SHOE LAST Filed Sept. 8, 1954 11v VEN TOR. fdward ff 5 Mina/1K United States Patent SHOE LAST Edward F. Schmank, Portsmouth, Ohio, assignor to Vulcan Corporation, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 8, 1954, Serial No. 454,700

7 Claims. (Cl. 12-136) The present invention relates to shoe lasts and is particularly directed to an improved slip last hinge that will prevent the last part link of the hinge from bearing against and eventually damaging the body of the last during the slip lasting process of shoemaking.

It is an important object of the invention to employ two heretofore unused parts of a so-called slip last hinge that serve as a cooperative stop means to limit collapsing movement of the heel part with respect to the articulating link for the last parts, to preclude contact of the link with the wood body of the heel part during the slip lasting step thereon.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple yet positive stop between an abutment on the part articulating link for the last and a fixed abutment on the heel part that is a part of the hinge; and which cooperate to limit the relative swinging movement of the heel part toward its collapsed position and thus prevent the last link from cutting into the body of the heel part during the shoe making process thereon.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the longitudinal center of the last showing the last parts in extended positions, end portions of the last being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 1 showing the last parts in collapsed positions.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawing the numeral 5 refers generally to a slip last somewhat like the last disclosed in the patent to Clausing No. 2,622,253, dated December 23, 1952. The last 5 has a forepart 6 and a heel part 7 articulated for relative swinging movements from the extended last position shown in Fig. l to the collapsed last position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a last hinge identified generally by the reference numeral 8. The last parts are provided with mating contact surfaces depicted in the drawing as a pair of ofiset meeting faces 9 and 10 on the heel part 7, and a pair of ofiset meeting faces 11 and 12 on the forepart, each pair forming a cooperative shoulder 13 and 14 in its respective last part for establishing the extended positions of the last parts. The last parts 6 and 7 are provided with aligned communicating routs 15 and 16, respectively, and as best shown in Fig. 3 these routs are relatively narrow and are just wide enough to snugly accommodate a last hinge having an overall thickness equal to the thickness of two hinge parts.

The last hinge 8 comprises a flat link 17 for pivotally connecting the forepart and heel part for relative swinging movements from collapsed to expanded conditions and return and includes mechanism for locking said parts in expanded condition. The link 17 has a generally curved form in plan and is provided at one end with a through slot for receiving a transverse pivot pin 18 anchored in the forepart. The opposite end of the link 17 is circular in plan and is formed with a centrally located hole 19 (Fig. 3) for receiving a transverse pivot pin 20 anchored in the heel part 7. The link is also formed with an upwardly projecting mid portion 21 of an area to extend over a substantial part of the upper portion of the routs 15 and 16. A fiat heightwise catch plate 22 is fixed in the heel part by the pivot pin 20 and by a transverse pin 23 anchored in the upper portion 2,702,394 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 ICC of said heel part. The catch plate has a circular pivot pin engaging end portion that is concentric with the pin 20 and is in face-to-face contact with the adjacent circular end portion of the link 17.

The upper end of the catch plate is provided with a projection 24 which is positioned above the body of the last and is releasably engaged by the upper end 25 of a latch lever 26 mounted for pivotal movement on the pin 18 that is anchored in the forepart. The central portion of the latch lever is in face-to-face engagement with the extended portion 21 on the link and is disposed in the plane of the catch plate 22, the lever being continuously urged edgewise against the edge of the catch plate by an expansion spring 27 bearing at one end against an edge of the lever and having its opposed end receivable in a bore 28 formed in the forepart. It will be seen that the extension 21 on the link 17 provides with the lever 26 a last hinge that has a two part thickness within that area of the routs 15 and 16 located across the upper portion of the contact mating surfaces of the last parts when the last is in the extended position shown in Fig. l and also when the last is in the collapsed position illustrated in Fig. 2. As has been stated the last part routs 15 and 16 are made just wide enough to snugly accommodate a two part hinge thickness and this fact coupled with the two part hinge thickness created across the mating surfaces of the last parts by the extension 21 and lever 26 provides a last that has a firm hinge action whose parts are free of lateral play and twisting movements.

In Fig. 2 there is shown the collapsed position of the last and it will be there noted that the pivotal movement of the heel part 7 with respect to the link 17 is limited by a cooperative stop means on the link 17 and the fixed catch plate 22 to prevent the lower curved edge of the link from coming into contact with and damaging the wood body portion of the heel part located at the forward edge portion 29 of the heel part at the bottom of the rout 16. The cooperative stop means is shown in the drawings as an arcuate abutment 30 formed integral on the circular pivot pin engaging end portion of the link 17 which as shown in Fig. 3 extends laterally therefrom into the plane of the flat catch plate 22. The abutment 30 is formed on the link in position to engage with a fixed abutment in the heel part which preferably takes the form of a notch 31 in an adjacent edge portion of the catch plate 22 when the heel part is moved to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 2 to prevent the last part link 17 from bearing against the body portion 29 of the heel part and thus protect said portion against damage when strong forces are exerted on the forepart as shoe uppers are pulled onto the collapsed last by the shoemaker during the lasting operation.

What is claimed is:

l. A shoe last comprising a forepart and a heel part having mating contact surfaces, a link connecting the forepart and heel part for relative swinging movements between collapsed and expanded conditions, said link having an abutment on the end connected to the heel part, and a fixed abutment on the heel part engageable by the abutment on the link to limit the swinging movement of the heel part on the link when the last parts are moved toward their collapsed positions.

2. A collapsible shoe last comprising a forepart and a heel part having mating contact surfaces, a link connecting the forepart to the heel part and having at least a pivotal connection with the heel part, said link being formed with an abutment adjacent its pivotal connection with the heel part, and a fixed abutment on the heel part engageable by the abutment on the link to fix the limit of motion of the heel part with relation to the link when the last parts are moved toward their collapsed positions.

3. A collapsible shoe last comprising fore and heel parts having mating contact surfaces, a link connecting the fore and heel parts for relative swinging movements between collapsed and expanded positions, a fixed stop on the heel part, and an abutment on the link cooperative with the stop for limiting the swinging movement of the heel part toward its last collapsed position.

4*. A collapsible shoe lasf comprising fore and heel parts having mating contact. surfaces, a. link between the fore and heel parts, a pivot pin anchored in the heel part for connecting the linkto said part, a last part catch plate fixed in the heel part bythe said; pivotpin, and said link having a laterally extending, abutment engageable against an. edge of the catch plate for limiting the pivotal movement of the link relative to the heel part when the shoe last parts are collapsed.

5. A collapsible shoe last comprising fore and heel parts having mating contact surfaces, a link extending into routs' formed in the fore and heel parts, means for connecting the link to the forepart, a pivot pin anchored in the heel part for connecting the link to said. part, a last part catch plate fixed in the heel part by the saidpivot pin, and said link having a laterally extending abutment engageable against. an edge portion of the catch plate for limiting the pivotal movement of the link relative to the heel part when" the shoe last parts are collapsed.

6. A collapsible shoe last comprising fore and heel parts having mating contact surfaces, a link extending into routs formed in the fore and heel parts, means for connecting the link to the forepart, a pivot pin. anchored in the heel part for connecting the link to said part,

a last part catch plate fixed in the heel part by the said pivot pin and. having a circular pivot pin engaging end. portion concentric with the. pin, and said link having a circular pivot pin engaging end portion concentric with said pin and formed with a lateral abutment extending into the plane of the edge of the pin engaging end of the catch plate and in position to engage said edge when the last parts are removed to their collapsed positions.

7. A collapsible shoe last comprising fore and heel parts having mating contact surfaces, a flat link extending into narrow, aligned routs formed in the fore: and heel parts, a transverse pivot pin anchored in each of the fore and heel parts to connect. the parts to the link for relative swinging movements between" collapsed and expanded condition, a heightwise catch plate fixed in the heel part by the heel part pin in face-to-face engagement with a side of the link, a fiat latch lever pivotally mounted on the forepart pin in the. plane of. the catch plate and releasably engageable with. a projection on the upper edge portion of the catch plate, said link. having an 7 upwardly proiectlng mid portion'in, face-to-face' engagement with the'mtermediate portion of the latch lever.

No references cited. 

